Improved arrangement of filtering apparatus to prevent incrustation in steam-boilers



G. WEISSEN-BORN. APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING INGRUSTATION IN STEAM BOILERS. No. 12,261

Patented Jan NITED STATES arsnr GUSTAVUS WEISSENBORN, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF FILTERING APPARATUS TO PREVENT INCRUSTATION IN STEAM-BOILERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 12,261, dated January 16, 1855.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, GUSTAVUS WEIssEN- BORN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Arrangement of Filtering Apparatus for Preventing the- Incrustation of Steam-Boilers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

The nature of my invention consists in arranging an upright cylindrical vessel divided into different compartments, the upper coinpartment being filled with stones, the next containing broom-brush or other suitable substance, and the lower one containing horsedung or other substance, which is impregnated with some such free alkali as ammonia. The water to be fed into the boiler is passed through this apparatus, being first heated at the top of the cylinder by contact with the exhaust-steam to a temperature of about 75, which causes the liquid in passing over so many surfaces to deposit upon them the incrusting mineral, leaving the water perfectly pure when it arrives at the boiler.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my apparatus, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation, reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of my apparatus; Fig. 2, a top view or plan of the same; Fig. 3, a horizontal section through lines 0 D.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts.

A is the outer casing of the apparatus; B, cold-water induction-pipe; B, continuation of the water-pipe; C, exhaust-pipe; D, exhaust-chamber; E, jet-pipes through which water is admitted from the pipe B into the exhaust-chamber D, whereby, by contact with the exhaust-steam, it becomes heated; F, basin-chamber; F, basin which checks the descending Water; G, primary filter containing stones; G, grate which supports the stones; H, secondary filter containing broombrush or any other suitable material; H, sideframe pieces of the same; I I, top and bottom frame of the same; J J, supporting-buttons of filter-frame; K, ammoniacal filter; L, distributing-tank; M, feed-pipe to boiler; N,

overflow-pipe; O, exhaust relief-pipe; P, supporters of ammoniacal filters.

Operation: The object of my apparatus is to separate the incrusting mineral contained T in the water before the latter enters the boiler.

In doing this the first requisite is to raise the temperature of the water to about 75, which is accomplished by bringing it in contact with the exhaust-steam of the engine in only to check the water in its descent, so as to afford the steam more time to impart to it the requisite degree of heat. The heated water now falls upon the stone filter, which is intended to present a large amount of surface, over Which the Water in passing will deposit a certain portion of its incrusting mineral. I find that rough stones answer this purpose extremely well, though I am not limited to their exclusive use. Bits of iron, copper, metal, or other substances with which the incrusting material exhibits an affinity may be employed. The water now falls upon the secondary filter H, which is composed of broom-brush. I find that the incrusting material deposits with greater readiness upon round and rough surfaces than upon those that are smooth or angular. Broom-brush seems to possess a peculiar adaptedness for this purpose, the incrusting material depositing upon it with freedom. Across the bottom of the filter B there are suitable bars, which prevent the filtering-brush from falling down.

The bottom frame, I, rests upon buttons J, by throwing aside which the two upper filters, G H, may be lowered and their contents removed whenever desirable. They are replenished from the top by temporarily taking off that portion of the apparatus above the filter Gr. Having passed through the broombrush filter H, the water falls into the horsedung filter K, which contains horse-dung or some other equally cheap compound impregnated with a free alkali, such as am monia. The case of this filter is perforated with minute holes, through which the water finds its Way and falls into the distributing-tank L. The effect of the ammonia is to precipitate whatever remaining incrusting substances the water may contain and to retain them within the filter, while the pure Water, falling into the distributing-reservoir L, is carried thence by the feed-pipe M into the boiler.

If by any possibility the horse-dung filter K should not retain every particle of the incrusting material which has been precipitated by the alkali, it separates itself from the Water by its own gravity after passing into tank L, and rests upon the bottom part thereof.

The feed-pipe M, it Will be observed, is placed a little above the bottom of L, in order that such precipitated sediment may not pass into the boiler.

N is an overflow-pipe which carries off any superabundance of purified water into a proper receptacle.

0 is an exhaust relief-pipe through which any uncondensed steam is carried off after having passed through the filters. Between the side frames of the filter H and case A a space is left, so that the steam may entirely surround the filtering material of H, which, by assisting to keep up the proper temperature of the broom-brush and of the water passing through the same, greatly facilitates the sepiaration and deposit of the incrusting minera My apparatus is cheap in construction and effective in operation. By its use the injurious effects produced by the incrustation of boilers in the evaporation of impure water is entirely obviated. It is well known that explosions, attended by loss of life and property, are frequently the results of boiler incrustation, while all engineers are Well acquainted with the fact that an increased amount of fuel is always required to produce a given pressure of steam when the boiler-tubes are incrusted.

The boilers of ocean steamers and others, in which salt-water is used, are soon rendered almost useless by incrustation. All these difficulties are overcome by the use of my apparatus. Salt-water, when introduced through the feed-pipe B, is relieved of its saline qualities and comes out perfectly fresh at the feedpipe M. My invention maybe applied to the cooking-gallies of sailing-vessels as a fresh- Water apparatus, if desired.

I make no claim to the idea of purifying water before it enters the boiler for the purpose of preventing incrustation, for that has been done before.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The arrangement of the exhaust-chamber D, girdled at its lower part by the cold-water pipe B, with the basin-chamber F and filters G H K, in the manner and for the purposes herein set forth.

GUSTAVUS WEISSENBORN.

Witnesses:

O. D. MUNN, J. W'. HAMILTON. 

